ESOL 1,6,13,15, 17,36, & 46
Paul W. Holland
MAE 4326
December 9, 2010
Mathematics: Measurement
Lesson: Going on a Measurement Hunt
Duration: 30 minutes
Grade Level: First
Brief Description: Descriptors of length would include words such as short, shorter, shortest, long, longer, longest, tall, taller, tallest, and high, higher, highest. Similar descriptors are used for weight and capacity.
Sunshine State Standards:
MA.1.G.5 Compare and order objects according to descriptors of length, weight, and capacity.
MA.1.G.5.In.b: / Compare objects by concepts of length––using terms, such as longer, shorter, and same—and capacity, using terms, such as full and empty.Supported
» MA.1.G.5.Su.b: / Compare objects by length using terms, such as long and short.
Participatory
» MA.1.G.5.Pa.a: / Recognize similarities and differences in size of common objects.
Activities should include the use of simple approximations to measure lengths and weights
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Standards:
Measurement Pre-K-2
1. Develop common referents for measures to make comparisons and estimates.
2. Compare and order objects according to these attributes.
3. Recognize the attributes of length, volume, weight, area, and time.
Objectives:
· Students will be able to identify and compare attributes of length using the words longer than and shorter than.
· Students will be able to compare the length of two objects.
Materials:
· Yarn
· Drinking straws
· Measurement Hunt Activity Sheet
Prerequisite Knowledge:
· Ability to follow directions
· Understanding the concept of larger and smaller
Motivational Activity:
Call the class together on the carpet, sitting down with legs crossed, arms in their laps, mouths quiet and eyes forward. Once all students have gathered and are in the learning position, begin the lesson by holding up two pieces of yarn of different lengths. Ask the students to identify which one is longer. Once a student has chosen one, ask him or her to prove it. This may be hard for a student to explain.
After the student (or several students) makes an attempt at proving the answer, show the entire class how to prove it. Tell the students that you brought your “starting line” (a drinking straw) that you will use to figure out which is longer. Explain to the students that you must put one end of each piece of yarn at the starting line. Put the starting line on the floor and then put one end of each piece of yarn at the starting line. Explain that this will give each piece of yarn “a fair chance at being the longest.” The piece of yarn that extends past the other is the longest. ESOL 1, 15, 17, 46
Hold up two different pieces of yarn and ask the students to find the yarn that is shorter. ESOL 17. When a student has chosen a piece of yarn, ask him or her to prove it. This time the student should use the starting line to show which one is shorter. Do the same thing again, but this time use two pieces of yarn that are the same size. Repeat this by comparing one piece of yarn with various objects around the room until you feel that the concept is familiar with the students. ESOL 15. For example, you may hold up the piece of yarn next to a garbage can and compare which is longer, and then hold the yarn next to the leg of a table and do the same thing. ESOL 13, 15.
Step by Step Procedures:
To begin the main activity, tell the students that they are going to get their own piece of yarn and their own starting line, because they are going on a measurement hunt. ESOL 46Show students the piece of yarn that they will be getting, and explain that they will go around the room with a partner and find something that is longer than, shorter than, and the same size as their yarn. ESOL46. The students should work in pairs, because at times they need more than one set of hands to measure different objects. Once they have used their starting line to find something that is longer than, shorter than or the same size as their piece of yarn, they will draw each object in the appropriate box on the Measurement Hunt activity sheet.
Randomly select a student to help you model how to use the piece of yarn to measure while on the hunt. ESOL 6. Begin by going around the room and holding the string next to different objects while your partner student holds the starting line. Make sure that the endpoint of the object and the piece of yarn are touching the starting line. Have the students state whether each item is longer than, shorter than or the same size as the piece of yarn. Then model how to draw that object on the Measurement Hunt activity sheet.
Give each pair of students an activity sheet, a piece of yarn (every student gets the same size piece of yarn), and a drinking straw for the starting line. Allow them to go around the classroom on their measurement hunt. ESOL 46.
Closure:
To end the lesson, have the student go back to their desks with their partner. Then combine the pairs of students to form groups of four and have the two pairs share what they found on their hunt with each other. Each pair of students will share their activity sheet with the other pair of students. As the students are sharing walk around the room and listen to what the students are saying. After each pair has shared their activity collect the activity sheets and randomly select a few sheets to share with the entire class. ESOL 6, 17, 36, 46
Questions:
· Why did we use a starting line? [When we measure two objects the starting line reminds us to start measuring each object at the same point.]
· Could you measure without a starting line? [Yes, but you still have to remember to start measuring each object at the same point.]
· What would happen if we measured two objects and didn’t start at the same point on each object? [The measurement would not be accurate]
· Could you give me an example of something at your house that is longer than you are? [Answers will vary]
· Can you find something in the room that is shorter than I am? [Answers will vary]
ESOL 1, 6 , 15, 36
Assessments:
Formative
1. An individual assessment can be done to assess a student’s understanding of the concept of longer than, shorter than and equal to. Draw three objects on the board (ex. a fishing pole, an inch worm and a pencil) ask the students to draw the object that they think is longer than their piece of yarn on the front of a half sheet of paper and the object they think is shorter than their piece of yarn on the back. ESOL 17, 46
2. Students go on a second measurement hunt where each pair of students would get a piece of yarn that is of a different length. When it came time to share their findings they would be able to see that a book may be shorter than one pair’s piece of yarn but longer than another’s. ESOL 17, 36
3. Give each student a piece of yarn of a different length. Put a piece of masking tape down on the floor about 3 feet long to use as a starting line. Four at a time, ask students to place their yarn in the appropriate position so that the pieces of yarn will be in order form shortest to longest. ESOL 17, 36
4. Divide students into groups of three and have them compare the lengths of their shoes. They can each take off one shoe, trace it on a piece of paper, and cut it out. They will then write their name on the paper shoe. The students can then glue the paper shoes on a piece of paper, in order from shortest to longest. ESOL 46
5. Have the students walk around the room and compare the length of their arm with the length of other students’ arms in the class. They must find someone that has a longer and one shorter arm than they.
Summative
To end the lesson, have the student go back to their desks with their partner. Then combine the pairs of students to form groups of four and have the two pairs share what they found on their hunt with each other. Each pair of students will share their activity sheet with the other pair of students. As the students are sharing walk around the room and listen to what the students are saying. After each pair has shared their activity collect the activity sheets and randomly select a few sheets to share with the entire class. ESOL 6, 17, 46
ESOL/ESE:
ESOL 1-Teach questioning for Clarifications
ESOL 6-Continually monitor comprehension
ESOL- 13 Use preview activities
ESOL 15-Reinforce key ideas
ESOL 17-Use of visual aids
ESOL 36-Higher order thinking skills
ESOL 46- Hands on Activities
References:
Florida Department of Education. Sunshine State Standards. Viewed November 27, 2010. http://www.floridastandards.org/Standards/FLStandardSearch.aspx
National Council of Teachers of Mathematicss. Illuminations. Viewed December 4, 2010. http://illuminations.nctm.org/LessonDetail.aspx?id=L873
Additional Resources:
Nartional Library of Virtual Manipulatives. Utah State University. Viewed 12/4/10.
http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/category_g_1_t_4.html
Illuminations. National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Viewed 11/13/ 2010. http://illuminations.nctm.org/ActivitySearch.aspx